So our building gets a really nice group discount through Comcast, but the problem is that Comcast is our exclusive provider and everyone pays. I am sympathetic to those who don't want cable or who want to get satellite TV, and I think it's good to have a fair review of the contract and vote on its renewal, but the board members decided not to play fair.

The board president, Scott, shoots of a wordy email saying he's done all the footwork, and that it will save us a lot of money if we don't renew--see, look at the spreadsheet I did for you guys

I fired the first salvo

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Bab wrote:The last time we went through this I found it was cheaper to keep things as they are rather than go solo. I find it hard to believe that that has changed.

Then someone aligns with me right away.

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Bab is correct. It has not changed. I do not know where Scott is getting his information from.Jim

Then I says

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Quoting Scott:"I believe all the companies could use the existing wires in the building, and we would not need to run new cable."

Bab wrote: Everyone who was here the last time we reviewed the cable contract (Scott was not here) knows that this is not so. We renew with Comcast by default.

Then Emily, a board member who doesn't want any cable or satellite at all, wrote

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I just got off the phone with Comcast and RCN and they both told me that in most cases they can use the existing cables for either cable provider.

Then I says

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I don't know why we're glossing over operative words like, "I believe..." and "in most cases." We had RCN out here and they said they cannot service this building.

I have no idea which way the vote will go, but I'm not letting them get away with their snow job.

Bab is 100% correct. I also called Comcast... and found it's quite different then what Scott stated.

<snip>

So, long story short, the information in the original e-mail from Scott/Jennifer is not correct. And this is evidenced by Bab and my calls to Comcast. I wonder if the other figures are incorrect as well.I also remember the last review of the cable contract and Bab is correct that RCN would not service our building.

<snip>

We have the best deal in the city for cable and should not let it slip away.

At this point, we've pretty much blow'd up the credibility of the current board members.

then Cassie says

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as far as my vote goes, i think our current contract is bleepin golden and i wouldn't want to change it.

Let me jump in here. Scott and Emily tried to hijack the vote from the outset, doubling-down on their efforts to misinform the other owners. That didn't sit well with me; still doesn't.

First of all, "we" never needed 51% of the vote to cancel the contract, but a few of you clearly decided that that's what "we" wanted to do (re-read the original email carefully if you've forgotten your exact verbiage). A request for an up-or-down vote is more than sufficient. Instead, Scott and Emily cooked up misleading to downright ridiculous numbers. Moreover, you were told repeatedly that, based on past inquiries, we already know -- not maybe, or in most cases, or should, or whatever synonym you can find in your thesaurus -- RCN can't service this building.

Let me jump in here. Scott and Emily tried to hijack the vote from the outset, doubling-down on their efforts to misinform the other owners. That didn't sit well with me; still doesn't.

First of all, "we" never needed 51% of the vote to cancel the contract, but a few of you clearly decided that that's what "we" wanted to do (re-read the original email carefully if you've forgotten your exact verbiage). A request for an up-or-down vote is more than sufficient. Instead, Scott and Emily cooked up misleading to downright ridiculous numbers. Moreover, you were told repeatedly that, based on past inquiries, we already know -- not maybe, or in most cases, or should, or whatever synonym you can find in your thesaurus -- RCN can't service this building.

The final tally was taken May 15 and the vote was in our favor. But then the losers decided to extend the voting period When I learned this, I was livid and that prompted my last rant "Case closed."

So just now, one of the cat women--the one who wouldn't clean up the cat scat because it's foul just voted!!! OMG! you can't make this up!

Judy says...

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Sorry it took me so long to reply, but after reading Cassie's detailed summary, it is clear that the obvious decision (for anyone wanting cable) would be to stay with the current bundled arrangement; that is therefor my vote

So I says to Emily and Scott...

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Cool! At least one owner was relying on someone else to do the research.Facts are important!

As you've been made aware of, I live with idiots, helpless whiners, and retards. And the Blizzard of 2011 has brung with it more idiocy. For example, they think that the 1 (one) guy we pay to clear our walk ways, will take care of everything, as if he has nothing better to do than set up camp here for months because the idiots here think we are that special. After all, we pay him a nickel plus one dime!

If you haven't been following my Blizzard 2011 saga, I'll repost these pictures, here.

the "Before" 8:30am

Bab's Tonka

:cool people street park:

the "After" 5:50pm

My camera is at eye level and that mountain is above my head.

Himalayans

So this dude from California (Bab) is trying to enlighten these morons from Chicago about the need to focus on snow removal from this point forward.

Another round of email. For those who've read past email from me, you should notice the difference in tone. I edited this several times to take off the... umm, "rough edges" so that the crybabies don't cry

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It's time to separate fact from fiction.

Steve (hired help) has been here three times. It has become clear to me that Steve wasn't paid to do snow removal. Steve's making sure that the paths we already cut for him yesterday remain passable. The salient point is the snow stays. Having said that, maybe some have noticed that a lot of snow has already been removed from behind 4118. Steve didn't remove it. As of yet, we don't pay people to remove it. I removed it. Unless we pay people to actually do snow removal, the Himalayans aren't going anywhere without some effort from the residents. Word.

Now that your decks are pristine, I hope people start thinking about our friends in the garden apartments and your belongings in the basements. If you haven't yet, take a look at the common area under the Gordon Terrace units. Most of that was redistributed from levels 3, 2, and 1 above. Likewise for the area behind 4118; there's a lot of snow standing in front of the garden units there, as well.

As awesome a job as we did yesterday, we spent 9 hours redistributing snow. We should be conscious, however, that eventually the conditions may worsen (they are ideal for snow removal, now) and that the snow will become harder to move, turn to ice, then ultimately begin to flood the garden apartments and basements. Sounds expensive to me and not very neighborly, to say the least.

As I mentioned above, I moved one mound today; shoveled it into a recycling bin, and hauled it out to the street for the city to deal with. Unless we pay people to remove the snow, it would be great if others can find time to participate this weekend. Since many of you have plans Sunday, try to pitch in Saturday or pay someone to help. This is forward-thinking and would be super appreciated even if you're sitting there thinking WTF?

Bab

So Jim, the only other resident here with half a brain and, fortunately, board member, says...

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Steve's contract is to clear snow from the walks and a path from the units on the porches and the stairs. This was a storm like none other since I have lived here. If the Board wants to authorize someone or CPS to hire someone to Remove the snow from the areas affected, I will vote for that. All owners cannot help shovel snow, either because of not being available or not physically able. I am also asking the Board to make compensation to Babblelot for his awesome effort the past 2days.Thanks Jim

And Billie*, the only tough woman here tough enough to do the "men's work" replied:

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Bab (the snow removal wiz) was out today and cleared a lot of the snow down there by himself...so kudos and an extra bottle of wine to him!

*Billie is Hawaiian, like, native Islander Hawaiian. You look at her and say, "Hawaiian." It's nuts that the two people doing the heavy lifting are from Hawaii and California.

{taking a bow} Yep, it's me! Actually, I don't think I dug too far, Babs. It's slim pickins in GD. Let's work on that until I get up to snuff on my tennis conversation skills.

Hey! There's my doubles partner!

Logged

I was at this casino minding my own business, and this guy came up to me and said, "You're gonna have to move, you're blocking a fire exit." As though if there was a fire, I wasn't gonna run. If you're flammible and have legs, you are never blocking a fire exit. - Mitch Hedberg